1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mailbox mounts. More particularly, the present invention relates to a mailbox mount that is able to withstand lateral stress from vandalism or accident.
2. Discussion of Background
The familiar rural mailbox is typically attached to an inverted L-shaped stand comprising a vertical post or standard and a horizontal beam. These stands may bend or break when struck by an automobile or other moving object, necessitating repair or replacement.
Mailboxes themselves are also frequently damaged by collisions with moving vehicles or other objects, or by vandalism. Vandals use baseball bats and the like to strike a mailbox, denting or crushing the box or dislodging it from the stand. Most rural mailboxes are made of thin-gauge metal no more than about 1/8" (about 0.32 cm) thick, or plastics such as polypropylene. Metal mailboxes are especially susceptible to abuse since they are easier to dent. Polypropylene mailboxes are more dent-resistant than metal mailboxes, but may be dislodged from a stand when struck with sufficient force.
Several U.S. patents address these problems. For example, Alvarez (U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,783) and Bonnell (U.S. Pat. No. 4,792,088) incorporate coil springs in the vertical support post. The post yields to the mechanical force exerted by a moving object such as an automobile and rebounds to its original erect position once the force is removed. Devices are available to support the mailbox in such a way that it can be moved without damage to it or its support, including rotatable mailbox mounts (Vanhoof, U.S. Pat. No. 1,273,696; Wood, U.S. Pat. No. 3,407,997; Anderson, U.S. Pat. No. 2,936,143; Laurich, et at., U.S. Pat. No. 2,738,941) and standards with swinging arms for supporting a mailbox for easy accessibility (Dunagan, U.S. Pat. No. 2,550,338; Conrad, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,433,263).
Reinforcing devices or shields are available for protecting a mailbox from impact. For example, Dowker (U.S. Pat. No. 4,187,978) provides a flexible cage surrounding at least a portion of a mailbox. The cage is adapted to absorb or damp at least a portion of the impact of any collision. DeLange, III (U.S. Pat. No. 4,368,842) encloses the mailbox in a cage constructed of impact-resistant material.
The effectiveness of these devices is limited. If the mailbox itself is rigidly attached to its stand, it can be dislodged or damaged when struck despite a flexible post or protective cage. There is a need for means for securely, but flexibly attaching a mailbox to a stand in such a way that the mailbox can absorb shocks due to collision or vandalism.